Just Another Day Book Four: Family
by thew40
Summary: [COMPLETE] The Royal Family seeks to make Skeletor confront his own dark past! But will it allow them to retrieve the long-lost Keldor? Please R&R!
1. Ghosts

Previously:

Two months ago, Skeletor and King Hiss jointly led a massive army against Eternos. With no one left to command Eternos that wasn't under the influence of the Spirit of Evil, former King Miro took his old throne back temporarily. However, during the course of the battle, King Hiss gave Skeletor up to the Hordak. Eventually, the army was crushed, but Skeletor remained the prisoner of Hordak.

Four days ago, She-Ra and He-Man traveled back in time to stop Kobra Kahn who (under the instruction of King Hiss) went back 1,000 years to assassinate the twins ancestor, He-Ro. They succeeded in stopping Kobra Kahn, but uncovered some mysterious elements to their own past and their mantles as champions of Grayskull. However, they were unable to get their questions answered.

* * *

Chapter One: "Ghosts"

* * *

"Out flank their left! Out flank their left!"

Tri-Klops snarled, gritting his teeth together. His eyes spun and released an energy beam right at Man-At-Arms. He ducked, rolled, and opened fire. Laser beams went sizzling through the air, one striking Tri-Klop's shoulder. He crumbled backward.

"Give it up, Evil-Lynn!" came a cry.

Evil-Lynn sneered and pointed her staff at the origin of the voice. He-Man blocked the energy that came searing from her staff.

"Never!" she replied, frustration more than evident in her voice. With a full contingent of Evil Warriors at her command, there was no reason why she should. They stood between the Heroic Warriors and the abyss that surrounded Castle Grayskull.

"There is no surrender this day, heroes," she cried.

"We have you outnumbered, Evil Lynn. Surrender now and we'll let you go peacefully," He-Man demanded, the Heroic Warriors coming closer. The battle had been going on for nearly an hour and both teams had just recently rallied around their leaders. The Heroic Warriors looked ready for a fight. The Evil Warriors looked exhausted.

But Evil Lynn was never one to give up so easily.

"Grayskull will be ours, He-Man! We will succeed where Skeletor has so often failed!"

"Following your former masters footsteps will not find you power. You know this!" He-Man argued. "Stop your posturing and fall back!"

She slammed her staff onto the ground and small tremor shook the ground slightly. Tri-Klops began to see something that he noticed during their time as 'sex buddies' manifest here on the battlefield. Pride. She would not give up - she would lead them to their graves.

As she continued to fire boastful comments at He-Man, Tri-Klops glanced at the small group consisting of Tri-Klops, Spikor, Karg, and Beast-Man. He nodded. The four went into action, activating the homing devices on their vehicles and beasts.

"Came against and you will be crashed as water does to rock! You will fall and fail!" she ranted.

"Evil-Lynn . . . it's over," Tri-Klops told her, walking up behind her.

"What?!" she raged, eyes wide.

Rotons, Spydors, Land Sharks, and Fright Flyers came rushing across the plain, quickly moving into the crowd Evil Warriors. As soon as they came, the Evil Warriors climbed aboard.

"I can't believe you, Tri-Klops!" Evil Lynn shouted.

Tri-Klops rolled his three eyes and hopped on to one of the Spydors. "Are you getting on or are you not?"

She huffed and then reluctantly climbed on.

"THIS IS NOT THE END, HEROES! GRAYSKULL SHALL BE OURS!"

He-Man smirked and glanced at Teela and Extendar. "Now where have I heard that before?"

Extendar laughed, but Teela just ignored him and walked off. He-Man sighed a little. Not a single word since their talk a two weeks ago. Despite their still strong friendship as Adam and Teela, the He-Man portion had vanished.

"We're going to do a perimeter search," Man-At-Arms reported. "After that, we're going to head off to Eternos to prepare for the party tonight."

"Gotcha," He-Man answered. At that moment, he glanced around and noticed just where he was standing. One thousand years ago at this exact same spot, there was the statue of the mysterious King Grayskull. But now? Nothing. Not even rubble. Why? What could have happened here that would have wiped out? And why hadn't heard about him before?

"Duncan?"

"Yes?"

"Have you . . ." He-Man paused, then lowered his voice. "Have you ever heard a King Grayskull?"

Man-At-Arms' expression was that of confusion. "No, I haven't. Why?"

"There was a statue here in the past. It was of a man named King Grayskull."

When He-Man said that, there was a strange howl in the wind. Both Man-At-Arms and He-Man looked over at Castle Grayskull, as if expecting some sort of response. Nothing. No movement in the windows, no opening of the drawbridge. Nothing.

"There are things, He-Man, that we just aren't supposed to know," Duncan said after a long moment. "You of all people know just how important some secrets are. If you are supposed to know about this King Grayskull, then the Sorceress will tell you when the time comes."

He-Man sighed and nodded. "I understand. What bugs me is that it makes me wonder just how many other secrets are being kept from me . . ."

Duncan didn't answer that, mostly because while he knew nothing about King Grayskull, he knew a lot more than He-Man (or Adam, for that matter) was ever supposed to know.

* * *

King Randor rushed down the stairs to the main landing pad. Queen Johanna exited her transport, brown hair waving in the wind. Her older brother hugged her hard.

"Oh, Johanna, my sister," he called. "Good to have you back home."

"Good to see you again, brother," she replied, smiling.

"And Dell and Edwina! My kin!" Randor blurted when Johanna's two children left the transport.

"Uncle," Edwina greeted and she did a curtsey.

"Hello Uncle Randor," Dell followed.

"So great to see you! Come in, now, come in!"

The group entered into the Palace. Johanna smiled at her older brother. "I heard there was some excitement this morning. Evil-Lynn trying to fill Skeletor's shoes?"

"Yes and failing at it quite miserably."

"Skeletor still is a prisoner of the Horde?" Johanna asked.

"Yes. And I can only hope he'll remain there," Randor returned. He didn't care for the reaction that was in Johanna's eyes. It was a look full of sympathy. He said nothing about it, though.

"Where is grandfather?" asked Dell.

"Queen Marlena has taken him into the farmlands to pick-up Rohad. He'll be back in about two hours. King Stephan and Prince Jeremy will be here in about half an hour. The rest of the guests will be here this evening."

"And just how many guests are we expecting?" questioned Edwina.

"It's King Miro's birthday party. Half the planet is showing up, along with a fair amount of Etheria."

* * *

Rohad, son Dorrian, hadn't seen his old friend and the former King Miro since that night that Miro left the throne. Though he was well aware of Miro's return, neither had any time to see the other. Until now, that is. Rohad stood on the porch of his small in the southern lands as the Wind-Raider and two Talon Fighters came to the ground.

Miro climbed out of the Wind-Raider, followed by Queen Marlena.

"King Miro!" shouted Rohad. "Last time I saw you, you were heading off into the wilds on the back of a horse. And what happens? You get kidnapped by a woman for twenty years!"

"Guess I should have taken your advice and stuck around, old friend," Miro replied.

The two old men embraced. "Good to see you, sire."

"Please, Rohad, that part of my life is over. I am not the king."

"Not according to what I hear. Word tells me that you were quite in command when Eternos was attacked."

"Temporary, old friend. Randor is the king, not I."

"Whatever you say, sire. By the way, happy birthday. Care to join me for some coffee before we head off to this overblown party?"

"Of course, of course," Miro returned. He turned to Marlena and motioned her forward. "Come on in, Marlena. Sit and listen to two old men shoot the shit."

* * *

The evening hours arrived and after a little while, Marlena, Miro, and Rohad joined the celebration at the Royal Palace. This was Miro's 80th birthday, and as Randor suggested, most Eternia had showed up.

From Lizardia came Lizard-Man. Stratos, Hawk, and Delora came from Avion. Queen Androna and Buzz-Off journeyed from Insectia. King Paw from the Cats capital of Felis Dee came. The Bears own King Jovah, Queen Jeda, and Prince Jade. The Starchild came in the name of the Cave People and Tree People.

As the party was getting started, Queen Angella, Princess Adora, Glimmer, Bow, Kowl, and Castaspella arrived.

"Hello grandfather!" Adora greeted, giving her elder a huge hug.

"Oh, hello my dear!"

Adora released and allowed Angella to greet him. "King Miro, so good to see you once more."

"Indeed it is, my dear, indeed it is."

"Hey sis!" Adam then shouted, coming across the room. The two hugged and Adam was - as usual - happy to see his twin sister, despite it being only four days since their time traveling adventure came to an end. Kathryn was busy talking with one the Insectoids.

The entire Throne Room was filled to the brim with music and food. Along with all this royalty were dozens of dignitaries and other old friends of the former king.

About an hour after their arrival, Adam, Adora, Randor, Miro, and Angella all came together during the course of their mingling.

"So, Queen Angella, any word on Skeletor? Still a prisoner of the Horde?" asked Randor.

"Yes, actually," Angella answered. "We've caught wind that Hordak to execute him in four days."

"You're kidding me!?" exclaimed Adam, nearly spitting out his wine.

"No joke, brother," Adora returned.

No one saw the expression on Miro's face at this news. It was one of pure shock and aghast. Randor glanced at his father and Miro hid the look immediately.

"I don't know about this," Adam told them. "I mean . . . can we let him just be killed like this?"

"Does he deserve to die, Prince Adam?" questioned Queen Angella. "Consider what he has done these past few years."

"I wonder if the Evil Warriors know about this . . ." Adora wondered.

King Randor cleared his throat. "Let's not worry about this right now, hmm? This is a celebration. Don't you agree, father?"

Miro nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, of course."

The celebration went on, of course, just as planned. Orko had a bit of a magic show, which surprisingly went just fine. Man-E-Faces put on a one-man, one-monster, one-robot show about King Miro's life, as well as had a brief roasting comments aimed at King Randor. After that, a dance followed.

Then came time for the toast, which King Randor himself gave.

"I propose a toast to my father, Miro, son of David. He who stood against Goblins, Orcs, the Enchantress, Skeletor, King Hiss and the Spirit of Evil's influence. This man, who has saved this kingdom even after retirement. On this, his 80th birthday, as his son, I ask that we all honor him in a toast."

Miro grinned as everyone bowed, raised their glasses, came up, and drank in the form of the Eternian toast.

"Thank you, my friends. Thank you so very much," he told them. "I spent far too many years in a prison. To even be free is wonderful, but to be here . . . in such great company is an honor. I am grateful beyond measure to be here among such fine people. I am humbled by your presence and I hope greatly that you all live to be as old as I am! And I hope that you will all be have such a wondrous family as I do!"

He drank from his cup, and everyone joined him.

The party went on for several hours. There was a feast of food, more dancing, more laughs, more drinks. Sometime after midnight, the guests began to head back to their homes. Adora decided to remain on Eternia for the night, so she could stay with her family.

At some point between King Paw's exit and Kathryn's heading home, King Randor lost track of his father. Making sure that everyone had a place to sleep, Randor went looking for Miro.

The former king stood at the top of a series of stone steps in the garden. In his hand was a glass of wine and he leaned against a railing next that looked over the slopping garden next to the stairs. The stars and the moons bathed the garden in a soft blue light.

"Father?" asked Randor, walking over.

"Hello, son," Miro replied.

"Did you have a good time?"

Miro gave his oldest son a big, toothy smile. "I did indeed. Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome." They paused and looked at the stars together. At long last, Randor spoke. "The news of Skeletor's execution disturbs you."

Miro nodded. "More than you realize. Randor . . ." Miro stopped and took a deep breath before resuming. "For years, I've blamed what happened to Keldor on what happened right here. This is where your mother fell and as a result, died and Keldor was curses with a premature birth and a weak heart because of it. I blamed that moment because I didn't know any better.

"And then, as I sat in the dungeon of the Enchantress for years and years, I had a lot of time to think. To think about who was really to blame. And I came to one conclusion. Me. I am to blame. I should helped him, I should have guided him."

"Father, don't . . ."

"Damn it, Randor, it's all my fault! If I had just steered him in the right direction. If I had just aided him, helped him overcome his disability . . ." He looked right at Randor now. "I had every intention of coming back here after I was rescued and trying to find him again. Try and help him redeem himself . . . and myself as well. Then you tell me what happened to him in my absence. Becoming Hordak's pupil, kidnapping your daughter, turning into this monster named Skeletor . . . and I still blame myself. Fight with me if you will, Randor, but I know the truth. I am his father and I was the reason his life went this way."

Miro stood completely up and set down his glass.

"Father?"

"No more, Randor. I will no longer watch him destroy his life and I will not let him die."

Randor's eyes grew wide. "Father, wait, what are you talking about?"

Miro looked Randor square in the eyes. "I am going to save my son and I am going to at long last bring him back."


	2. Bound by Blood

Chapter Two - "Bound by Blood"

There was darkness and it never ended just as he had never slept and barely drank since his arrival. In his cell in the deepest, darkest region dungeon of the Fright Zone, did Skeletor sit. The darkness was around him at all times . . . save but a few, though he could neither confirm nor deny those times.

He sat there for endless hours simply because time was no longer an absolute. It was meaningless. Completely, utterly meaningless. He was aware of time moving of course, but never of the hours or the days that he sat in that small cell in the darkness.

Skeletor sat and as he did, he felt a strange chill up his spine. Though he no longer felt joy in the same he did as a child, an emotion as similar to it came to him. A light flared briefly before his hollow eyes. His Orc heart fluttered for a second. The light flared again. It took shape.

The light took the shape of a glowing white skeleton with a purple cape draping from its shoulders. This was most definitely not the first time since Skeletor saw this creature. Their first encounter was in the caverns beneath Snake Mountain. Then second was during his transformation from Keldor to Skeletor. Once more was right before Skeletor's great unveiling to Eternia. The last time they met was shortly before the battle of the Borderlands.

"Scare-Glow . . ." Skeletor managed, the wraith standing tall before the fallen prince.

"Drink, Skeletor, for we must speak once more," Scare-Glow told Skeletor. Skeletor reached over to the small bowl in the corner of the room and sipped.

"You have come to me now. Why?"

"You are to be executed, Skeletor. You know this. And with death right before you, how will you face it?"

"I will be freed. Hordak is not counting on my minions - "

"He is, and they won't. Your life may just end in three days. How will you face death?"

Skeletor said nothing. Scare-Glow sat down in front of him.

"Keldor . . ."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" roared Skeletor.

Scare-Glow's bones grew brighter. "It is your birth name! You slur Keldor and you get Skeletor."

"Be silent, ghost! For too long have you haunted me! Who are you?! You gave me the key to great powers, you saved my life, you offer me advising. And now you open the door to the past when I have slammed it shut? I demand to know who you are!"

Scare-Glow interlaced his boney fingers together. "The question you insist upon me should be one you ask yourself? Who are you? Keldor, the fallen prince? Skeletor, overlord of evil and master of Snake Mountain? You have worn many masks. Hordak's pupil, the last of that mutants, the dark emissary of Infinita, scourge of Grayskull, the exile, the traitor, wielder of the Sword of Darkness, the master of chaos - " Scare-Glow paused. "- the hero."

Skeletor shuddered. "Shut up about that."

"You saved the lives of those two Earth children."

"Shut up!"

"What happened?"

"SHUT UP!"

Scare-Glow did not. "Just what happened before that, hmm? The Jewel of Amara, wasn't it? Your family history coming back to haunt you?"

"You are all that haunts me!"

"If you knew who I truly was, Skeletor, you would understand just why it is we have palavered so many times and just why is it I am here."

"STOP SPEAKING IN RIDDLES! STOP SPEAKING AT ALL!"

"I sense your hate, Keldor. You will die. Your warriors are not coming for you . . . but others are."

"Who?"

Scare-Glow went silent.

"WHO?!"

"Your family."

Skeletor sat there, staring at the glowing collection of bones. And then . . . he started screaming.

* * *

It was a gray and misty morning Prince Adam awoke to and he made a note of it as he pushed himself out of bed. The family was all here and Adam had decided to remain the night rather than head back to the Great Towers. After a quick stop to the commode, Adam headed out of his quarters and to the lounge that sat in the center of the royal quarters.

There, he found the rest of his cousins and his sister, Adora. Like Adam, they were all in their sleeping wear; Edwina apparently feeling the need to put some make-up before joining them this morning. Dell and Jeremy were busy playing a game of holographic ball. Adora was attempting to get to know Edwina, which didn't seem to be going so well.

"Hey gang," Adam greeted, stepping over to a table with a plate full of doughnuts. "What have we got planned today? A trip to the southlands? A journey into the Mystic Mountains? Insectia is beautiful this time of year."

Everyone just looked over at Adam and never before had he seen such disinterest. He shrugged and then bit down into a cream stick.

"Good doughnuts." After he swallowed the delicious bread, cream and icing, Adam plopped down on one of the couches. "Where is everybody?"

"Meeting," Adora answered.

"Meeting? This early? Do you know who is in this meeting?"

"Your Dad, my Dad, Aunt Johanna, and Grandfather," Jeremy replied.

"Oh, and Man-At-Arms and that Rohad guy," Dell, the youngest cousin, added.

"Yeah."

"Adora, do you happen to know what this is about?"

"No clue, brother."

* * *

"So . . . are we all in agreement?"

The room shifted at Miro's question. They had spent so much time talking about it this morning, but to now be so confronted with the idea was totally shocking. Randor looked at his siblings and saw two very different expressions. For Johanna, there was the look of hope. For Stephan, it was uncertainty. Randor was positive that his own expression was somewhere in between.

Miro's deep concern for Keldor - now, after all these years - was touching. And Randor knew what he was feeling. How many sleepless nights had Randor and Marlena spent in their quarters, holding each other, unable to slumber out of worry for Adora? How much time passed before their worries eased? It was heartbreaking and though it got easier, there was never a day that went by that Randor didn't wish for his daughter to be back home.

His father was feeling the same way, only worse. And Randor sympathized with that. In that time after Keldor's fall from grace and again right after Keldor went into hiding in the aftermath of the Horde War, Randor had found himself wanting to help his youngest brother. But could he be saved? Could he be helped?

"We have to try," Randor found himself saying.

Miro smiled a little. "Bless you, Randor. Johanna? Stephan?"

Johanna nodded. "Yes. I'd like to help."

Stephan took a deep breath. "I'll do what I can, but I'll be honest when I say that I don't have a whole lot of faith in this."

Miro gave his middle son a small nod. "Rohad? Man-At-Arms? What do you suggest we do?"

"I'm not quite sure. I - " Man-At-Arms halted in his sentence, though. He could hear a voice in the back of his mind, whispering. It was the voice of his former love, Teelana, Sorceress of Grayskull.

_Duncan . . . we must speak briefly,_ she told him.

"Are you alright?" Randor asked.

"I need a moment. Excuse me."

"Of course."

Duncan stood up and left the room. Right outside, he allowed his mind to fill with her voice.

"Sorceress?" he whispered.

_King Miro's actions are noble, but also quite foolhardy. I doubt that he will be able to undo what has been done to Skeletor._

"He feels the need to try, Sorceress, and I support him on that," Duncan once more whispered.

_His intention is true and there is great love in his heart. If he is truly serious, then you all must come to Castle Grayskull._

"What about the twins?"

They must not know. Be sure that King Randor and the others understand this.

"I understand."

_Good then. We shall speak again shortly._

Duncan turned around entered into the room.

"What's going on, Duncan?" asked Stephan.

"The Sorceress of Grayskull just contacted me telepathically. She says that if we are truly serious about this, then we need to see her."

Miro looked upon his children, his best friend, and the Man-At-Arms. "Then let us go to Castle Grayskull."

* * *

"What's he doing now?" asked Hordak, stepping up to them monitors.

Multi-Bot looked back at the ruthless leader, with one head still pointed at one of the control panels. "He was speaking to someone, and then he started screaming. He was quiet and now he keeps whispering."

"It's like he has an invisible friend in there with him," said the second head.

"I do not like it when he does that, Hordak," Shadow Weaver noted next to him. "I know that there are no life readings in his cell, but I sense the faintest bit of energy flowing around in there."

"I know what you mean, Weaver," Hordak added. "It's as though he's - WAIT!"

Everyone looked at the monitor that displayed Skeletor's cell. A red light was growing in Skeletor's hands.

Multi-Bot began to tapping on read-outs. "His power. It's beginning to return. Again."

Hordak pounded on the communicator. "Leech! Get down here! Weaver, with me!"

The two rushed into the lone corridor that went right to Skeletor's cell. At Hordak's command, the door opened. Skeletor barely had any time to move before Hordak's hand became a laser cannon and he blasted Skeletor. Skeletor went flying across the room, the red pulsing light in his hands gone in a second.

Shadow Weaver followed up and from her thin fingers came long sparks of energy that splashed against Skeletor. He groaned as his power fled from him.

At last, Leech entered. His hands opened up and he placed them onto Skeletor's chest. Right afterwards, Skeletor passed out.

* * *

Miro paused before entering Castle Grayskull. A memory fluttered back - humiliating Keldor because of the Prince's insistence to find it. How foolish he had been, King Miro thought sadly, to deny his son the right to speak to him about such matters.

Castle Grayskull was real. Very real. It stood right before him and Miro had always told Keldor that it was nothing more than a myth.

"So very foolish," he said to himself quietly.

As Man-At-Arms, Johanna, Miro, Randor, Stephan, and Rohad came to the vast abyss that surrounded the great fortress, the drawbridge came open. The royal family entered and was immediately greeted by the Sorceress.

"Welcome, royal family of Eternos!" she greeted, smiling.

"Sorceress," King Miro returned, "I am pleased you have taken the time to aid us in our quest to save and redeem my son."

"It is a difficult task before you, King Miro," the Sorceress replied. "I have some things that shall help you in your attempt to fulfill your goals." She lifted from a nearby table a long staff with an unlit torch on the top. "The staff of Truth. It shall be the light to guide you and Skeletor as you try to help him."

Randor took the staff. "Thank you."

The Sorceress then lifted a clear glass vile. "Also, now the Water of Torask. Once you use the staff of Truth, have him drink this. Though I can not guarantee anything, it may help erase the damage done to his body."

Miro took the vile and bowed. "Thank you, Sorceress, for all your help."

"I have done only what I can do. As I said, there is no clear outcome to this attempt, but attempt it you must. Good journey."


	3. Saving the Enemy

Chapter Three - "Saving the Enemy"

Randor looked to his father. "Remember the story," he advised. "They can't know the truth."

Miro nodded a little. "I know. However, if we are successful . . ."

It was a big if, but Randor kept his mouth shut. The fact of the matter was that this was going to be hard. The easy part would be breaking Skeletor out from the Fright Zone, which was no shy feat. According the Gwildor, the Fright Zone had dampening fields all over, preventing the Cosmic Key from opening a portal right into it. They all hoped that a scan from Brightmoon Kingdom would yield a gap in the fields.

"Are they assembled?" asked Randor to Man-At-Arms.

Duncan nodded. "They are."

Miro, Randor, Stephan, Johanna, Marlena, and Duncan all entered into the Situation Room, where Adam, Adora, Jeremy, Dell, and Edwina all sat waiting from them.

"What's going on, father?" asked Jeremy.

The group sat down and Miro spoke. "Children, there is a tale we must tell you," he started. The tale was a lie, and Miro felt as though it was a particularly bad one.

"You have all heard of your uncle Keldor, correct?"

The grandchildren exchanged familiar glances. After a brief second, Adam answered. "Yes. Not a whole lot, but yeah . . ."

"He studied the mystic arts and then mysteriously vanished right before the Horde War," Dell followed up.

"That's right," Johanna said to her son.

"From what we understand, Skeletor knows what happened to Keldor," Randor lied. "With the execution coming up, we have decided to mount a rescue mission to retrieve Skeletor and find out what he knows about . . . my brother."

Adam's eyes widened. "Are you serious? We're going to rescue Skeletor?"

"Yes. Tonight, actually," Stephan replied. "We are taking a team of Heroic Warriors to Etheria, and then will find a way into the dungeons of the Fright Zone."

"Just how do you plan on getting into the dungeons?" asked Adora. "It's layer after layer of prison cells."

"We've been in contact with Brightmoon since this morning and their information has located Skeletor's cell," Randor explained.

"Who is going?" Adam asked.

"Fisto, Ram-Man, Rio-Blast, Buzz-Off, Clamp Champ, and Snout Spout. We figure they have the perfect combination to pull this off correctly."

More questions were asked and more details were given, as one would imagine. But as the words flowed around the table, out of the mouths of this family, Queen Marlena said next to nothing. She only sat there, her mind rolling over what these people were thinking about doing. Were planning on doing.

Their greatest foe, their most powerful enemy . . . they were going to save him. How did this make sense? Why would they do this? For some vein hope that he could be redeemed? It was foolish and she knew it. Skeletor deserved what was coming to him and Marlena hated that she thought that.

But after everything he had caused . . . the kidnapping of Adora, his assistance in the Horde War, and oh so many battles where the causalities would just continue to be listed off before her. How could one how killed so many be spared death himself? What justification was there in trying to help him?

How could any of them support this horrible plan? Miro was respectable and she loved him like she would a second father . . . but how could he not see t his? How could he not understand that Skeletor was the way he was because he chose to be?

The fates were not kind to Miro, of course, but it was not his fault that Skeletor was this way. He chose to follow the paths of evil long ago. No one could have prevented that.

Marlena bit her tongue and said very little as the meeting came to an end. As the groups divided to prepare for what was coming, she went to her bedroom. She wept there, out of frustration and discouragement.

* * *

A few hours later, after meeting with the Heroic Warriors, Ram-Man was summoned to King Miro's side. He met up with the former king and Queen Johanna in the royal apartments.

"Was this where it was at?" asked Miro, tapped his fist against the wall.

Johanna studied the location as Ram-Man stood there, confused and bored. "Yes. Yes, I believe so. Ram-Man? Can you knock down a small portion of this wall here? Just door-sized, if you will."

"Uhh . . . sure."

Ram-Man backed up, then leapt forward, his bulk sending his protected head smashing against the wall. It shattered and crumbled. A shaft of light from the hallway revealed a secret room.

"Thank you, Ram-Man," Miro told him. "If you will join the others . . ."

"Um, okay."

As Ram-Man walked off, Miro entered into the room. "This was it," he stated clearly.

It was once Keldor's room. Blocked off after his fall from grace, everything inside was boxed up and covered in blankets. It was full of dust now and of old, faded memories that were once happy, but now were nothing but hollow shards that stung. There was no happiness in this room. Only dust.

"We'll do it here," Johanna said, and she pulled a moldy blanket off a box. "It should stir up some old feelings."

"I don't know, Johanna . . ." Miro sighed. "Is this right? Can we do this? Can we pull it off?"

"One heck of a time to question yourself, Father."

"I know. It's only . . ."

"Listen, Father, if the Jewel of Amara incident is any indication, there is still hope for Skeletor. Especially considering the reports we heard regarding those two Earth children."

"Yes," Miro answered. "Perhaps. I hope."

* * *

Evening rolled in. As prepared, the royal family was placed into a secure location. He-Man and She-Ra were to be on hand when Skeletor would arrive. Those Heroic Warriors not going were all on highest alert. The others waited patiently in the late summer twilight as the final preparations were made.

In their quarters, Marlena helped Randor finish up with his armor.

"You don't want this to happen," Randor told her.

Marlena sighed as she tightened the final strap of Randor's chest plate. "No, not really," she answered after a pause.

"I know. Part of me doesn't want it to either," he replied. "But another part of me reminds that it's my brother. And I'm reminded of what we went through when Adora was kidnapped -"

"But Keldor wasn't kidnapped, Randor. He chose what happened to him. Your father may blame himself for what happened, but it was Keldor's choice."

Randor reached and put his hands on his wife's arms. "I know that," he said to her. "But Keldor is still my brother. His choices were bad ones and I want nothing more than to see him have the chance to undo them."

Marlena nodded a little, then hugged her husband firmly. "Come back to me, Randor."

"I will. I promise you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

An hour later, at Brightmoon, the group began to prepare for what was the come. It was also dusk on Etheria, meaning that Queen Angella's power was slightly diminished when she met up with Randor's crew..

"Any luck finding a workable gap in the dampening fields?" she asked Randor as they stood upon the edge of a cliff. Nearby, Gwildor was working on an impressive, but tiny device that beeped at a regular interval.

"Not yet, it seems," Randor answered.

"I wish you good luck, Randor. Breaking into Hordak's private dungeon will be very difficult. Breaking out will be next to impossible."

"With the Cosmic Key, it should be easier."

"One can hope."

"AH! Got it!" Gwildor squealed.

Randor rushed over. "Where? In the prison area at all?"

"Better! The same corridor as Skeletor's prison cell!"

"Excellent! Get to work then, Gwildor!"

Gwildor began to punch in the correct keys into the Cosmic Key. The sequence came in a series of electric notes and sounds. At last, he pressed the activation button and Cosmic Key opened. The prongs began to spin, creating the right harmonics to open up the portal. Patterns of light and energy spun above the reassembled group of Heroic Warriors.

Stephan stepped next to Randor and pulled out his sword and his axe. "Hope this works," he muttered.

"Me too."

The blue portal opened wide and the Heroic Warriors went rushing in . . .

* * *

Teela made another perimeter walk around the courtyard, just to make sure. All of Eternos was on highest alert with guards all over the place. There wasn't a corridor or a street corner that was without a soldier.

As busy as Teela was, however, her mind couldn't help but stray back to the events of just two weeks ago when she and He-Man had their 'talk.' It hurt her. It hurt her bad. She gave him her love for so long . . . and to have it thrown back at her . . . it still stung.

"Teela?"

The Captain turned around to face the one who called her name. Bathed in the moonlight was She-Ra, Sword of Protection sheathed on her back.

"Oh, hey," Teela replied.

"How have you been?"

"Good, I guess." Teela paused then, and then let her guard down. "I've . . . I've been better."

"Yeah. He-Man dropped ya pretty hard, didn't he?"

Teela nodded. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Don't - don't worry about it. I'm sure this is a lot like how Adam felt when I dumped him. I just . . . I just wish that I at least had a chance with him, you know?"

"I know. But hey, listen, at least you got out of it before things got too involved and he had dump during the hot and heavy stage . . ."

"Yeah. I guess." There was regret in her voice, but She-Ra didn't press on it. "Oh well. That's life, right? At least I know things can't get any worse."

She-Ra nodded. "Just keep that in mind."

* * *

"RANDOR!"

The King spun around at the sound of Stephan's voice. The Honor Sword, in the hand on King Randor, slashed right through a Horde Trooper. All around them, klaxons blared. They held the area tightly and it was secure (for the most part), but more and more Horde Troopers were pouring in.

"Here it up over there!" shouted Randor to Clamp Champ and Buzz-Off.

Clamp Champ continued to lean up to the access keypad, sniffing and studying it with his heightened senses. "I'm working on it!" He pressed a few keys - to no avail. "Damn it. THEY MUST HAVE CHANGED THE CODE!"

Randor groaned, but continued to let fire his laser.

"Yer majesty! We've got trouble!" Rio-Blast yelped.

The King turned and saw Hordak emerge around the corner. He was prepared for this, however.

"Ram-Man! Fisto! Attend to the door!" Randor shouted.

Rio-Blast opened up his chest, revealing two large missiles and a laser cannon. The missiles went soaring above the heads of the Horde Troopers, slamming right into Hordak. The laser cannon went off, following the same pattern as the missiles.

Hordak stumbled back, his chest plate smoldering a bit. Randor pointed to Snout Spout. From the nose of the Heroic Warrior came thirty gallons of water. This thrusted back the Horde Troopers.

Randor spun to the door to the prison cell. "Come on! We're running out of time!"

Already the Horde Troopers were regaining themselves. And Hordak was on the move, this time with Grizzlor and Leech.

"COME ON!"

Fisto slammed his fist into the access keypad. It sputtered and sparked, but was done with. He then began to punch up the locks on the door.

"All done," he said at last and then motioned to Ram-Man. "All yours."

"Thanks pal!" Ram-Man leapt and the door dented. "Man, that's thick."

"HURRY IT UP!" roared Randor, shooting down another Horde Trooper.

Ram-Man banged it again and the door went flying off its hinges. Light poured into the prison cell, revealing Skeletor.

"The light . . . so bright . . ." Skeletor choked.

"Extendar! Buzz-Off!"

Extendar reached in and grabbed the prisoner. As soon as he was pulled into the corridor, Randor pressed his communicator and sent a signal to Gwildor.

"No . . .NO!" Skeletor cried out. "NOT BY YOU! NOT BY YOU! NO! NOOOO!"

The portal opened before them. Reality shimmered and warped. As Hordak pressed his soldiers forward, the group ran into the portal. As quickly as it opened, it closed up.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, a second portal opened in the courtyard of Eternos. He-Man, She-Ra, and the Heroic Warriors all arrived just as Randor, Stephan, Fisto, Ram-Man, Rio-Blast, Buzz-Off, Clamp Champ, and Snout Spout emerged, carrying a fully sedated Skeletor.

Randor passed the unconscious villain to Man-At-Arms, He-Man, She-Ra and a medic.

"Escort him to the room my father opened up. We want him to wake up in the bedroom . . ." He paused briefly, almost forgetting. " . . . of the man we're looking for."

"Understood. Let's move out!"

Skeletor was moved into the Palace. All the Heroic Warriors took their place at their assigned positions. As the group around them dissipated, Randor turned to Stephan.

"Let's go tell father his birthday present has arrived."


	4. Struggle

Chapter Four: "Struggle"

There was no surprise that darkness greeted upon his wakening. It has, of course, been what he woke to for the past two months. Also the same was the lack of power and the feeling sedation. But something was not quite right. He was laying down, on a bed. His arms and legs were shackled to the wall.

"Don't struggle, son."

Skeletor tried not to gasp. A form not far from him lit a candle and Skeletor saw just where he was.

"No . . ." he moaned.

"Yes."

Skeletor sat up as Miro lit numerous candles throughout the once-sealed bedroom. "Why did you bring me here? What do you want"

"I want to help you, son. I want to offer you a chance to absolve your mistakes."

Skeletor stared at the man who was once his father for a moment, then began to laugh. "Foolish old man! Hahahaha! You think you can get me to turn my back on everything that has come before! Hahahaha!"

"I think I can, Keldor. You're my son and I want you to."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT" roared Skeletor. "I gave up that name long ago! Keldor is dead"

Miro raised his hand to Skeletor. "I don't believe that."

"You should! And why are you trying to do this, anyway? Feeling guilty, are you? Feeling sad for your little boy, hmm? You're trying to save me is nothing more than you trying to rid yourself of your own damn GUILT!"

Miro was taken aback, but still stood against Skeletor. "Partially. But mostly, because of you . . ."

"HA! Oh, poor Father . . . feels so much pity for his long lost little boy . . ." Skeletor strained against the shackles. "Well, don't worry about me! I've chosen this life and I will see that I end yours!"

Skeletor began to cackle wildly. Miro stepped back, a little intimidated. "Look at yourself, Keldor. Look at what your choices have made you."

"They've made me strong! They've made me great! They made me vastly powerful!"

"They've made you a creature of darkness and deception, Keldor."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"I will not! It was the name your mother and I picked out for you! Skeletor is a lie!"

"YOU ARE LYING TO YOURSELF IF YOU THINK YOU CAN BRING **HER** INTO THIS!"

Miro stepped a little closer to Skeletor. With a clear voice, he spoke. "You still blame yourself for her death, don't you?"

"Shut up, old man! Where were you when she fell?"

"You think that you're the reason she died. You blame yourself. All these years, you've carried that weight" Miro returned, voice full of resonance and understanding. "Keldor, my son . . . it wasn't your fault. And even if it was, then you should know that I forgive you."

Skeletor's jaw hung slack. As he sat there for a silent moment, his blank eyes began to grow crimson like a burning hot coal plucked from a fresh inferno.

"You dare . . ." he muttered at last. "You FORGIVE me! You bastard! You old bastard! How dare you presume to even begin to know me! I WILL KILL YOU! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH! I AM DARKNESS AND CHAOS! I AM THE MASTER OF EVIL!"

Skeletor pushed against the shackles. Miro stepped back.

Right at that moment, the door to the Keldor's room came flying open. Man-At-Arms leapt in and fired a tranquilizer gun at Skeletor. Three darts caught the villain in the chest. Within seconds, he was passed out.

"Seems he was getting a little too excited," Man-At-Arms told Miro.

Miro sighed and frowned. "I'm a fool. He was right. Everything he said was right."

"No need to give up yet, sir."

The pair walked out of the room and into the corridor. "I don't know what to do, Man-At-Arms. I'm not sure I can get through to him. I want to . . . I need to. But I'm just not sure if I can . . ." Miro sighed once more. "After all these years, perhaps I have lost him for certain."

* * *

"I don't . . . I don't know about all this." 

Edwina looked up for his small stack of bound papers covering all of the new Fall dresses. "What's that?"

Michael, just a year younger than Edwina, glanced out one of the windows of Central Tower. "I'm just not sure about all this. I mean, Skeletor is a horrible guy. He's tried to conquer the world more times that any of us can remember. He freed the Snake-Men, renewed Hordak's interest in Eternia, and helped the Spirit of Evil. Heck, he even kidnapped Adora when she was a baby! Why in the world are we making deals with this guy?"

"Information, of course. I'm sure when we're done with Skeletor, we'll send him off into some other dimension or some such."

Dell looked from the computer he was playing at. "Hey guys" he said between in-takes of chips"I just realized something."

"What's that, Dell?" asked Michael of his cousin.

"Did you know that if you put an 'S' in front of 'Keldor' you sorta get 'Skeletor?' Kinda funny, isn't it? I mean, seeing as how Skeletor had something to do with our long-lost Uncle Keldor's disappearance and all."

"Yeah" Michael returned. "That is awfully strange."

"Coincidence" wondered Edwina, now suddenly intrigued by this revelation.

"I really don't know" Michael noted. "But I would most certainly like to find out."

* * *

"What do you mean he escaped? Just how did he do that?" 

Hordak snorted. Even projected into Snake Mountain as a hologram, he could sense Evil-Lynn's pure shock and surprise at the development.

"He had help."

She laughed a little. "From who? None of us have even left Snake Mountain."

"Randor" Hordak replied. "I think . . . I believe I know what his intentions are."

"Oh? And just what would that be? Executing him himself?"

The holographic Hordak shifted uncomfortably. "Not as such. As a former apprentice to the Elders, I am aware when certain objects are released from a specific vault. It's very rare that this happens and since the war with the Snake-Men last years, it's been stronger. The Staff of Truth has been brought out. Evil-Lynn . . . I believe that Randor plans on attempting to restore Skeletor to his previous form. They are going to try and revert him back to Keldor."

Evil-Lynn's mouth fell open. "Impossible . . ."

"Unfortunately, that is not so. If they also have the Water of Torask, then it may just be possible."

"Skeletor would never allow it."

"Would he really? Think about for a while, Evil-Lynn. After everything he has been through?"

Evil-Lynn shook her head defiantly. "Hordak . . ."

Hordak stiffened. "It's time for you to come out on your own, Evil-Lynn. You've gained much in Skeletor's absence. I'm only to going to offer you this once. Come to Etheria. Join the Horde. Bring the Evil Warriors and work with me in conquering this world. Don't let Skeletor, Hiss or He-Man stand in your way. Join me and we will take over this world . . . and then return to Eternia to take it."

"You're offering me service in the Horde? Why"

"I am reluctant to admit this, but confrontations with the Horde grow more frequent. Just a week ago, they upset (of all things) Horde Prime's birthday offering! With you and your minions joined with mine, nothing will stop us."

Evil-Lynn couldn't believe what she hearing. "I'm . . . I'm not quite sure, Hordak."

"Understandable. Let me know what your intentions are in a few hours, will you?"

"Of - of course."

The hologram vanished. Evil-Lynn sat alone in the throne room of Snake Mountain for a number of long minutes, mind rolling over the possibility of joining the Horde. True, with Hordak, the resources were much larger and the stakes were higher - exactly what she had always wanted when working here.

But there was the certain issue of loyalty. She had served Skeletor ever since the tail-end of the Horde War. Times were, of course, different then. It was more out of attraction that brought her under his wing. In time, she discovered his power went far more beyond that of a lover.

He was mighty. Stronger than anyone else suspected and Evil-Lynn often times wondered why Skeletor had held back. Was there really some small part of Skeletor that did in fact remain Keldor? Was that why he was so hesitant to kill? Was that why he sought out the Jewel of Amara last year?

"I can't . . ." she whispered. She could in no way abandon Skeletor. Perhaps there was indeed far more Keldor in him that she realized. And if that was so, then she NEEDED to be by his side.

At that moment, Trap-Jaw walked into the throne room.

"Trap-Jaw, where is King Hiss?"

Trap-Jaw thought for a second. "Uh . . . in the lower caverns, I think. Looking for something."

"Assemble all of the Evil Warriors, Trap-Jaw. Quietly. Have all Centurions and Skull Warriors within these walls at full alert. We leave for Eternos in thirty minutes."

* * *

Once more, Skeletor awoke in bedroom that was his many years ago. Unlike the previous time, however, it was not King Miro that greeted him upon his awakening . . . but Randor, Stephan, and Johanna. 

"He's really trotting you out, isn't he?" asked Skeletor.

"I think it would be best if you at least considered his offer, Keldor" Johanna told him.

"That is not my name anymore. I have given up on all of you. I spat upon this family years ago."

Stephan scoffed. "Is that why you went after the Jewel of Amara"

"I went after the Jewel of Amara because it would have given me the chance I needed to finally rid myself of the likes of all of you. And to finally conquer Eternia."

"It's funny" Randor said with a small scoff. "This arguing between you two sounds exactly as it did when we were all kids. You may have lost your face, Skeletor, but there's still a lot of Keldor left in you."

Skeletor snarled. "And just why are you in this, Randor? If there's one member of this family I've hurt the most, it's you. You know as much as I do that fath - that Miro's attempt at redeeming me is foolish."

Randor stepped towards him. "You're damn right about that, Keldor. In fact, I'm just letting him do this because I want you to see what you have done to him. And perhaps there was some hope that you could be restored. But I'll be the first one to admit that, yeah, we ignored you and patronized you as a child. But ultimately, it was YOU who made you who are. I came to that conclusion the moment YOU STOLE MY LITTLE GIRL FROM ME!"

Skeletor nodded. "Of course. You were always the smart, Randor. Always so bright and so incredible. So healthy. Me? I was the dead man walking."

"That's not true" Johanna chimed in. "We loved you. No one knew just how to talk to you. You kept to yourself and . . ."

"I kept to myself because I was shunned!"

"Nobody shunned you" Stephan quipped. "You hid yourself from us. Maybe if you let us into your life, it would have been better. Maybe we would have understood you."

"Understood? Did you fail to realize that my heart was weak? Did you fail to understand that it made strenuous physical activity nearly impossible" Skeletor cried out. His turned away then. "It doesn't matter anymore. That part of my life was burned away."

"So be it" Randor snapped. "I don't even care anymore."

The eldest son of Miro made for the door. "What are you going to do me now, Randor" asked Skeletor. "Execute me"

"I don't know yet."

Stephan began to follow his brother. As the pair exited the room, Johanna turned one last time to face her disfigured youngest brother.

"I still believe there's still hope for you, Keldor" she said quietly. "My brother is still in there."

"Keldor is dead" Skeletor returned harshly. "He started dying the moment he was born. He stopped being your brother the moment he leapt off that balcony. He died right after his first kill. And he was reborn when that acid melted away his face. Keldor is dead, Johanna. Skeletor is all that remains of the man that was once your brother."

Johanna turned and rushed out of the room. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, she started crying. She had faced Skeletor many times since he fell into darkness . . . but never like this. She hated it. She hated him. How could he be like this? How could he have changed so much?

"Johanna"

She looked up and saw her father next to her.

"Father."

The two hugged long and hard.

"I know, sweetie, I know" he whispered as she wept.

After a moment, she pulled away. "There's no hope for him, is there"

"I . . . I would like to try a little longer. I still believe there's a chance. I do."

"Father . . . I'm not sure there is a chance anymore."

Miro said nothing.

And then . . . the alarms began to blare. Randor came running down the corridor.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"


	5. Day of Reckoning

Chapter Five: "Day of Reckoning"

Really, it's not like they weren't prepared for this.

In fact, to even imply that the Heroic Warriors were thinking it would be a slow day was grounds to genuine insult. However - as prepared as they may have been - there was no anticipating the kind of chaos that erupted in the courtyard that afternoon.

The Collector came slammed down and immediately released all but Karg. They poured down into the courtyard like an army, weapons and powers primed. The initial Royal Soldiers were really nothing compared to the awesome battalion that had dared to invade royal ground. They were over with in two minutes flat.

At this point, of course, Evil-Lynn was aware that the easy part was over with. Everything from here on out was going to nearly impossible.

As soon as the Evil Warriors took their position at the entrance to the Palace, the true battle began. The Heroic Warriors had arrived on the scene.

"Stand down, Evil-Lynn!" shouted He-Man. "Leave now in peace!"

"Boys . . ." Evil-Lynn cooed to her cohorts.

The battle exploded in a hodgepodge of attacks.

No one noticed, but it was none other than Pelicor that engaged the enemy first. His target was Clawful - the one who was helping the Lobsterites in their war against the Pelicons. Nothing was said as Pelicor pulled out his curved short sword and swiped at Clawful's chest. Nothing happened, however, for Clawful's own armor was too thick. In return, Clawful pummeled Pelicor.

Meanwhile, Tri-Klops began firing his eye-beams directly at Snout Spout and Man-At-Arms. Man-At-Arms rolled, beams following him as he attempted to dodge them. Snout Spout, on the other hand, unleashed a stream of water against the three-eyed villain, slamming him into the pavement.

Rotar came flying against Jitsu, fists pummeling him. Jitsu, however, sent his golden hand slamming against Rotar's face, causing him to sailing backwards.

Fisto punched Trap-Jaw right in his cybernetic arm, smashing his robotic attachments. Whiplash's tail rammed right into Extendar.

As the battle roared on, Evil-Lynn slipped into the Palace itself. As soon as she rounded a corner, she lifted her staffed and sent her thoughts out into the Palace. She focused through the staff . . . and found Skeletor.

"Found you."

Evil-Lynn started off - only to halt right in her steps.

"Going somewhere?"

"She-Ra."

The blond champion of Grayskull stood right in front her, Sword of Protection firmly in her grasp. Evil-Lynn lifted her staff, sparking with energy, and then pointed it straight at She-Ra. A burst of pure power was unleashed right at She-Ra.

She-Ra, however, lifted her Sword of Protection. Evil-Lynn's blast came against She-Ra . . . but it suddenly spit and bend around her as it came to the blade. Two small explosions erupted behind her as the blasts were diverted away.

"Surprised?"

"Not really"

"You're about to be."

She-Ra rushed forward, sword in the air. Evil-Lynn blocked it, then kicked She-Ra in the stomach. Her staff swung around, striking She-Ra in the side. She-Ra was thrown to the side, giving Evil-Lynn time to lift up he staff and prepare to swing it down upon She-Ra. She-Ra, however, held up her sword and both weapons slammed against the other.

She-Ra pushed hard and Evil-Lynn staggered back, but still ready for a fight.

* * *

He-Man came running down the corridor, meeting up with Randor, Stephan, Johanna, and Miro. "They're secure in the courtyard. She-Ra is holding Evil-Lynn in the Second Lobby. We've got soldiers keeping this corridor secure, as well as the balconies."

Miro nodded. "Good. Because this is my last chance."

Randor did a double-take. "What!"

"One last try, Randor." Miro lifted up the Staff of Truth and the Water of Torask. "Please."

Randor groaned. "Alright, alright. Let's go. He-Man?"

"I'll guard the door."

Miro opened the door, followed by Randor, Stephan and Johanna.

"What's going on out there?" questioned Skeletor, still shackled to his old bed.

"Just some old friends of yours, Keldor," Stephan grunted.

"Let me go. Now."

"We're going to try one more time, son," Miro said, lifting up the Staff of Truth.

"You foolish old - "

Alas, poor Skeletor, for he had no chance to finish his sentence before a pure white light came upon his from the Staff of Truth. It looked right into his body . . . his mind . . . his very soul . . . and revealed it to his former family.

The entire room gasped at what they saw.

* * *

As the Heroic Warriors battled it out below in the courtyard and the Evil-Lynn did combat with She-Ra, a silent figure crept ever-so carefully to the window of the Prison Tower. Ninjor. He scaled the wall the tower until he reached the highest window.

He turned his gaze inside and spotted his target - Webstor.

Ninjor shattered the glass, issuing an immediate alarm. With all of the chaos, however, it would most likely be ignored. Ninjor dropped into the Prison Tower and unleashed a pair of ninja stars at the guards.

He then slammed his sai into the lock and released Webstor.

"Ninjor. We've met," Ninjor introduced himself.

"I think we have. What's going on?"

"The royal family has Skeletor held in one of the royal quarters. While Evil-Lynn and the others distract the Heroic Warriors, we're going to free him."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"NOW DO YOU SEE THERE IS NO HOPE!"

They did. Through the bright white haze that the Staff of Truth beamed at Skeletor, they saw within this man that was once their own. Keldor was nothing more than a shadow within this frame. A skeleton . . . that was blackened with evil. The eyes of said skeleton were like two horrible red coals that burned with the flames of an inferno.

"KELDOR IS DEAD! THERE IS NO HOPE FOR HIM NOR ME! EVIL IS MY ONLY PATH NOW AND FOREVER!"

Johanna began to weep. Stephan put his hand on her shoulder. Randor gripped his Honor Sword. Miro just stood there, silently, attempting to take it all in. And then . . . he lowered the staff.

"What a fool I am . . ." he sighed.

There was a sudden loud thud at the door.

"Trouble," Randor stated.

Randor, Johanna, and Stephan rushed out of the room . . . leaving Miro alone with Skeletor.

Outside, as He-Man, Randor, Stephan, and Johanna battled with Webstor and Ninjor, Miro turned to the man who was once his son.

"I was a fool to think I could help you," Miro admitted shamefully.

"There's no arguing that point."

Miro actually grinned a little. "You've gained some wit. I like that. But you were right. I did this more for me than for you."

"Now you know where I get my selfishness from."

"I just wish that I could have helped, Keldor. I do. If there had been some way . . ."

"Let me go. Release me."

"No. I can not. I will not."

"I'll be executed," Skeletor told him plainly. "You know that. Even if it's not by Randor, Hordak will surely find a way to find me and kill me."

"I . . ."

"Let me go . . . father."

Miro blinked. "This is quite the ruse. Trying to goad me. Trying to appeal to my guilty feelings."

Skeletor smiled that bizarre smile. "Is it working?"

* * *

He-Man's fist came sailing across Ninjor's jaw, sending him flying down the corridor. As the highly-trained warrior collided with the wall and went unconscious, Webstor jumped over all of them and joined his rescuer.

"Evil-Lynn!" he cried into Ninjor's communicator. "We're outnumbered up here!"

"The same here! We're pulling out!"

Webstor slung Ninjor over his shoulder and ran towards the nearest window. With He-Man chasing him, he threw open the window, jumped out, and webslung his way from the building.

He-Man tapped his own communicator. "Man-At-Arms?"

"We've got them contained, He-Man. It looks like they're pulling out."

"Understood."

He-Man turned back to the three children of Miro. "Father . . ." Randor said, realizing that Miro was not with them.

The four of them rushed back to Keldor's quarters. As soon as they opened the door, the foursome saw what had happened. The shackles were shattered, the window busted open. Miro sat alone in a chair and when they came in, he looked up at them.

"I'm afraid he's escaped," he said them.

Randor turned to He-Man. "See if you can catch him."

"Yes sire," He-Man replied and ran out of the room.

Randor turned to his father. "Are you alright?"

Miro took a deep breath. "Yes. I am . . . relieved, actually. Seeing him . . . inside of him . . . it helped me realize that I was not fully responsible for his actions."

"We all could have tried better, father," Stephan assured him.

"I know I regret what I did to him. For acting to way I did," Randor followed-up.

"You know? I don't think he realized that . . . until today," Miro added. "I don't think he realized we cared . . . until today."

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Skeletor had safely smuggled himself out of Eternos. While he probably could have managed to get a ride in the Collector with the others, he decided that he needed some time clear his mind and sitting with morons for a few hours was not going to remedy that.

So . . . he walked.

It was evening when he started and walked throughout the night. In morning, as he reached the boundaries of the Eternos kingdom, he drank water. The second day, he continued onward and well into that night. He walked onward for three straight days until he finally reached the Desert.

Once Skeletor arrived in the Desert, he filled a small bag of water and walked on. He just . . . walked on.

After ten days and crossing the Sands of Time, the Sands of Fire, the Plains of Perpetuia, Skeletor arrived at the Valley of Storms. As soon as reached that final ridge, he saw something that made that Orc heart of his jump.

His Chaos Staff was sticking in the ground, right next to the Sword of Darkness. Skeletor rushed forward and collected both items.

"Scare-Glow . . ." he muttered.

At that moment, he heard a sudden growl. He spun around and watched his great approval as both Panthor and Screech joined his side. They both looked exhausted, but also quite happy to see their master once more. Just how long had they been tracking him?

"Come, my beasts," he said as he leapt onto Panthor's back. "Let us reclaim our home."

* * *

Thunder cracked around the fortress as King Hiss and Evil-Lynn stood in the mouth of Snake Mountain. Lightning flashed and flared and a far-off volcano exploded and rocked.

"It will not be easy, of course," King Hiss explained, regarding some plan of his.

"Of course," Evil-Lynn replied.

"HISS!" came a roar.

Both Evil-Lynn and King Hiss spun around to see Skeletor came rushing into mouth. His Chaos Staff released a powerful bolt at Hiss, shedding his skin off in one blast.

"You escaped?" Hiss cried.

"That's right," Skeletor returned. His Chaos Staff sent another beam at Hiss, holding him in place. Skeletor then unsheathed the Sword of Darkness and pointed it right at the heart of King Hiss. "And now . . . you pay for your betrayal."

Skeletor prepared to strike, weapon posed like a scorpions tail above the leader of the Snake-Men. However, something odd stirred within Skeletor. Instead, he released King Hiss.

"I'm giving you a free chance, Hiss. Leave now or die."

King Hiss snarled a little, then walked off. Skeletor took a deep breath and turned to Evil-Lynn.

"That was unexpected. Your family really got to you, didn't they?" she asked.

Skeletor grunted. "If that's how you want to see it. I like to think that Hiss now owes me one."

She sighed and took his hand. "Whatever the case, Lord Skeletor," Evil-Lynn told him, "welcome home."

He nodded slightly.

"Yes. Home."


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

Duncan stood upon the balcony and watched as the work crews began to pull out from the northwestern corner of the city. The reconstruction was now complete. Some small scars would remain, but what could be fixed was completed. Eternos looked good now, in the light of the slowly setting sun. It looked . . . refreshed.

"Duncan," said Adam. He and Adora approached from behind.

"Yes?"

"Duncan, we were talking to Michael and the others earlier, and we wanted to know something," Adora answered.

"Just what is the connection between Keldor and Skeletor? And not the explanation that father gave us," Adam said.

Duncan sighed and faced them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adora pursed her lips. "Slur Keldor and you get Skeletor."

The Man-At-Arms went rigid. "What are you trying to say?"

Adam glanced at his sister before fully addressing Duncan once more. "I don't think we're really saying anything other than there seems to be a deeper connection between Keldor and Skeletor that you've all let on."

"You two . . ." Duncan paused. "Adam, I told you a few days ago. There are things that are secret for a reason. Both of you understand that more than anyone else. There are many secrets . . . many things you don't know about. As much as I wish I could reveal everything I know, I can't. And even things I know don't cover a 1/3 of what else is out there."

"Don't you trust us?" Adora asked.

"Of course I do. And everyone else does too. But there some things, I'm afraid, that you just can't know yet. When the time comes, I will be there."

Adam looked to his sister and she gave him a small nod.

"All right, Duncan. Thank you."

The twins left Duncan's side and made for the courtyard.

"It's been quite a couple of weeks," she said. "I can't believe everything that's happened here. The Spirit of Evil, the Ancients rising, Count Marzo, the Pelicons, the attempted Spider invasion, you and me in the past, and then this whole Skeletor/Keldor mess. It's just been . . . wow."

"Yeah. I'm ready for a vacation."

"You had one. Out at sea."

"Yeah, that was a fun couple of days."

The pair entered into the fully repaired courtyard, where Orko was entertaining Teela, Kathryn, Spirit and Cringer with a new trick of his.

As soon as Adam arrived, Kathryn took his hand and kissed him briefly on the cheek. Adam smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Teela offered him a friendly smile. All at once, Adam felt at complete peace with these people.

"That was a good trick, Orko," Cringer congratulated. "Nice to see it didn't get messed up this time."

"Oh, I'm catching on," Orko replied.

Adam looked to all of them - his friends, his family - and smiled broadly. "Who wants dinner?"

"I do!" Cringer and Orko shouted at the same time.

Kathryn turned to Adam. "What now?"

"Now? We head off into the sunset."

She smiled and kissed him again. Afterwards, they all stood up - Adam and Kathryn, Orko, Teela, Cringer and Spirit, and Adora - and all walked forward, towards the beautiful blazing sunset. The perfect ending to just another day.

* * *

NOTE: There's more to come! Stay tuned for "Liberty and Valor - Book One: Quest" coming soon! 


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